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As if fast-moving plotlines involving murder, music, lust, family dysfunction, power, betrayal and sexual orientation aren't enough to keep viewers in thrall, credit fashion with adding another seductive layer to "Empire's" runaway success. The saga of a wealthy hip-hop family, Fox's smash hit — which has experienced stunning ratings growth, from 9.9 million viewers for the premiere to 16 million just seven weeks later — has a large cast and numerous guest stars (Naomi Campbell, Courtney Love, Mary J. Blige among them) to keep clothed. But there's no question who the style star is here. From the moment she strutted out of prison in a skin-tight...

Antonio Villaraigosa, who served eight years as L.A.'s 41st mayor, has bought a contemporary house in Hollywood Hills for $2.5 million.
The 1970s home takes in views of such landmarks as the Hollywood sign and the Griffith Observatory as well as downtown...

New works by Rajiv Joseph, Melissa Ross and Itamar Moses as well as a new Theatre Movement Bazaar piece inspired by "The Godfather" will be part of the 2015 Pacific Playwrights Festival, held from April 24 to 26 at South Coast...

A 1926 Spanish Revival residence that was once home to leading man Marlon Brando is on the market at $3.495 million.
Set above Sunset Strip in Hollywood Hills West, the unusual castle-like house features a step-down living room with vaulted ceilings,...

He knows that when he enters a room, his reputation precedes him. At age 74, with a long and legendary career behind him, he's well aware that he can easily intimidate people. They look at him and see Michael Corleone from "The Godfather," Sonny...

Spooky midcentury paintings of big-eyed children and the equally twisted tale of the artist behind them are at the center of Tim Burton's new film, "Big Eyes." The true yet surreal story of painter Margaret Keane also resonates throughout the...

Because we shouldn't let the terrorists win, and also one always needs a reason to be out of the house while Christmas dinner is being prepared, we headed out to our local small-chain theater Thursday to see Sony’s “The Interview.”
The noontime matinee...

"Hollywood Cats"
(ACC Distribution, $45)
When the Hollywood studios took over the wilds of Los Angeles in the 1930s, the backlots, soundstages and production offices became a playground for stray kittens and cats. More than tolerated, they...

Ken Takakura, a quiet, craggy-faced star known for playing outlaws and stoic heroes in scores of Japanese films, has died. He was 83.
Perhaps best known abroad for his role as a police inspector in Ridley Scott's 1989 film "Black Rain,"...

"Foxcatcher" is a brooding, particularly American horror story of seduction, rejection, betrayal and murder set in the under-the-radar world of Olympic wrestling. A despairing, intentionally disturbing film that draws us into a maelstrom of...

Jack Ma: founder of Alibaba, China's richest man and big “Forrest Gump” fan.Fresh off the biggest IPO of all time, Ma is in Los Angeles this week to visit several movie studios with the aim of striking content deals for online distribution in China.“I...

"The Simpsons" has had a hit put on its head in the form of a huge lawsuit.
"GoodFellas" actor Frank Sivero sued Fox Studios on Tuesday for $250 million, claiming he was not compensated for "The Simpsons"...

The acclaimed cinematographer Gordon Willis, who died Sunday night at age 82, helped define the look of American cinema in the 1970s and '80s. Known as the Prince of Darkness for his bold use of shadows, Willis was a frequent collaborator of Francis...

When I think of cinematographer Gordon Willis, I think of “Manhattan," one of his signature efforts. Working with director Woody Allen, as he would do so many times, they drenched the city in such exquisite light and shadows that you can stop the...

Whether he was working in color or black and white, cinematographer Gordon Willis conceived the look of a film in gradations. In "The Godfather" trilogy, the Don was shrouded in the shadows of his underworld. In "All the President's...

Palmer Luckey, the baby-faced founder of virtual-reality start-up Oculus VR, looked slightly perplexed when asked if he thought his ballyhooed headset, known as the Rift, could change cinema.
"No, not 'if.' We will change it," he said after a...

The stated goal for the gritty, neo-noir drama "Water & Power" isn't simply to take a deep narrative dive into what one character in the new movie terms the "contrails of corruption" in modern Los Angeles.
According to its...

Directorial acclaim never comes easy. When it hits, though, the results can be significant not only for the helmer but for cinema itself. We take a look back at the films that propelled some of today’s most celebrated directors to prominence.
Steven...

No sooner did the mansion known as Fleur de Lys sell this week for a record-breaking $102 million than another L.A. estate hit the market with even higher aspirations: $135 million.
Called the Beverly House, the six-acre compound in Beverly Hills also is...